Dramatic Significance of Trial scene in The Merchant of Venice

The Importance of the Trial Scene: 

The Trial scene is central to the action of the play The Merchant of Venice. It is also arguably the most dramatic scene in Shakespeare's play because the magnificent Portia is pitted against the awesomely virile Shylock. It is also significant because the two parallel stories of the bond and the caskets blend in exquisite harmony in the scene. The bond story is a direct consequence of the existence of the casket story. Had it not been necessary to win Portia's hand by way of the lotteries of the caskets, Bassanio would not have asked Antonio for a loan of three thousand ducats. Antonio's all-consuming love for Bassanio forces him to sign a bond in favour of his arch-enemy Shylock, for a loan of three thousand ducats. The non-payment of the loan by Antonio at the appointed day leads to the trial scene. 

Symbolic Significance: 

The trial scene is symbolic of the creative genius of Belmont coming to the rescue of helpless Venice. Antonio and Bassanio, who are the symbols of Venice, show impotent helplessness, when cornered and threatened to be crushed by the massive force that Shylock mounts on his enemies. Shylock is not a symbol of Venice, because he is shunned by the entire city. Portia who symbolises Belmont, through her creative genius, comes to the rescue of Venice. Had her resourcefulness not been so magnificent, Antonio would have been mauled by the marauding Shylock. Venice, consequently, would have failed one of its own against a fiercely proclaimed enemy. That justice prevails in the end is the most satisfying part of the trial scene. Shylock is prevented from carrying out his monstrous revenge, and Antonio's life is saved. Yet, the trial scene provides tragic justice instead of peptic justice, because in it Shylock is stripped of every human solace possible. He is deprived of his entire wealth, and his life depends upon the mercy of the duke and his converting to Christianity. For a man who takes pride in his religion like a fanatic, and guards his wealth with zealous craze, the dual punishment must have been the ultimate humiliation. 

Trial Scene, A Moral Crisis of the Play: 

A. R. Humphreys points out that "the trial is the dramatic narrative, and moral crisis of the play. Belmont joins Venice; Portia and Shylock, hitherto unaware of each other, share their sole joint scene; the great Jew as a lonely individual confronts the corporate Venetian state, his intended victim, and that of victim's saviour; and Mercy, Law and Justice affect their intense dialogue. Virtually all the play's forces converge in this keystone scene."

Trial Scene, A High Tension in Public Spectacle: 

The duke and the magnificoes are all assembled in their regalia, and the reader is full of apprehension for Antonio's life. Shakespeare capsules the majesty of Venice in this one scene. Antonio's and Bassanio's helplessness as well as that of the duke and entire Venice is in sharp contrast to the single-minded dedication and force of Shylock. He is confident of his bond, and is secure in the impartiality of the Venetian law. Though Antonio refers to Shylock's rage, it is in fact his confidence in his bond and in Venetian law which makes him so sure of himself. Portia's appeal for mercy to counter Shylock's fury is a Christian trait, for it is expressly provided for in the Bible. Shylock may have been true to his calling, since it is the bond that gives him astounding confidence. Yet there had to be some force to counter his monstrosity. The beautiful and charming Portia is an ideal foil to the fire breathing Shylock, and the manner in which the two exchange words with one another in the court is magnificently appealing. Shylock's rationalism, his precision of mind and word, which have been his hallmark throughout the play, peak in the trial scene. He hammers on the rigid terms of his bond in the trial scene. When asked why he wishes to take Antonio's life he does not think necessary to give any reply. His entire rationally thus has an inherently irrational cause, for no matter how fierce the hatred, life is still sacrosanct. So he can merely reply that it is his whim to take Antonio's life. He is outwitted by the equally whimsical, overwhelmingly legal quibble provided by Portia. The chicanery, with which Portia turns the tables on Shylock, makes us wonder whether Venetian law, at least its interpretation, is as fair as it is made out to be. 

Before Portia's arrival on the scene, Antonio, Bassanio and Gratiano alternatingly mock and plead with Shylock, for trying to take Antonio's life. All of them put together are no match for his ruthless rationale. Portia too requires the unspoken consent of the duke and the magnificoes to carry out her rather flimsy counter to Shylock's legal right. These exchanges are the exposition of law as interpreted by various characters. It, however, has a more profound meaning, for their words depict the sense of life and values of each. For Shylock the law is an end in itself, for Portia it is a medium to bring about natural justice in contrast to the legalistic justice that Shylock seeks. 

Trial Scene, An Exposure of Shylock's Savagery: 

Nothing can be more horrible than Shylock's monstrosity, for we are in no doubt he would have actually carried out his threat if he had been given a chance. If Shylock is savage, the Christians who surround him are steeped in bigotry. As Christian belief goes a man is a born sinner, and can restore some sanity by pleading for mercy from the gods. When Shylock is asked "How shall thou hope for mercy, rend' ring none?" his retort is "What judgment shall I fear, doing no wrong?" He then reminds the Christians of the hypocrisy of keeping slaves and using them alternatively with their "asses and your dogs and mules." This is his reply to the Christians' appeal for mercy and brotherhood when they show none to him, and treat their slaves as badly as animals. The Christians have the right to slaves as per the law. Shylock has the right to his bond as per the law. Mercy and brotherhood is unquestioned in the former, but relentlessly pursued in the latter. Christian hypocrisy, which is prevalent throughout the play, reaches its nadir in the trial scene. Even Portia, despite her intellect, cannot rise above it, for she was in the court to provide legal advice and ends up nailing only Shylock.

Portia's Pleading for Mercy and Shifting Her Attention to the Legal Aspect of the Bond: 

Portia's pleading for mercy is the most admired passage of Shakespeare. It has the charm of a gentle intellect, and the quality of an emancipated soul. Shylock is the only person unmoved by the appeal, and Portia bas no alternative than to shift her attention to the legal aspects of the bond. Shylock exults as Portia concedes that Shylock has legal right for Antonio’s pound of flesh. His exultation is, however, short-lived, because his own insistence on the exact words of the law is turned against him, as Portia demands that no drop of blood should fall while cutting Antonio's pound of flesh. Shylock’s isolation is complete, as Portia confiscates his entire wealth and places his life at the mercy of the duke. His isolation turns into degradation as the duke agrees to pardon his life if he converts to Christianity. If Antonio is lonely, then Shylock is even more so. Antonio's loneliness is the result of his choice and his temperament, whereas it is thrust on Shylock because he is a Jew. 

Shakespeare Providing Comic Touch to the Trial Scene: 

The trial scene could have easily become morbid, had Shakespeare not provided a comic touch to it. Gratiano is a great relief. His superlative play of words when he tells Shylock:

“Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, 

Thou makest thy knife keen." (IV. i. 123-124] 

are exquisite and lend enormous comic relief. The disguise of Portia and Nerissa, unnoticed by their husbands, and their use of words which have a different meaning to the audience and the readers than to the characters to whom they are addressed to, also provide tremendous fun. When Bassanio tells Antonio that he would sacrifice his own and his wife's life to save Antonio’s, Portia remarks; "Your wife would give you little thanks for that." This does not dampen Gratiano, Bassanio's clone, to wish that his wife were in heaven so that she could intervene to save Antonio's life. 

Excitement in the Trial Scene: 

The trial scene is exciting because it has an extremely swift action. The dialogues are penetrating and thought provoking. The contrast in characters between Shylock and Portia, Shylock and Antonio, and even Shylock as a symbol of the Jews and the Christian world of Venice, enhances our fondness for the play. The trial scene also clarifies the discrepancies which were evident to us in the earlier parts of the play.